Colorado DOI prepared for administration's cut to CSR funding

Alternative rates already reviewed; ready for open enrollment.

DENVER (October 13, 2017) – Last night, the Trump administration announced that it would discontinue Cost-Sharing Reductions, or CSRs, for the individual health insurance market. This is unfortunate, but the Colorado Division of Insurance (DOI), part of the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), was prepared for this and is putting its Plan B into place.

For low-income people who make too much to qualify for Medicaid, up to 250 percent of the Federal Poverty Level, CSRs are payments from the Federal government to help this group of people lower their out-of-pocket costs (deductibles, co-payments, co-insurance). For months now, the president has hinted that he would discontinue these payments. Because of those threats, this past summer the DOI had Colorado health insurance companies submit two sets of rates for their 2018 plans, one that assumed the CSRs would continue to be funded, and another set that were based on the CSRs not being funded. The information on premiums that the Division released in September used the CSR-funded rates.

Now that the Trump administration is purposefully making people pay more for their health insurance, the DOI will move to the non-CSR-funded rates. These rates have already been reviewed by the DOI, and today the division is pushing the new premiums to Connect for Health Colorado so they can be loaded into its system. The Division’s plan is that open enrollment will continue as scheduled, Nov. 1 - Jan. 12.

“As the Governor said in his statement, cutting the CSRs is cruel and irresponsible,” said Marguerite Salazar, Colorado Insurance Commissioner. “It doesn’t help people and will actually hurt consumers. However we knew this could happen and we were prepared with a contingency plan. The Division of Insurance is proceeding to ensure the health of Colorado’s individual market and protect Colorado consumers.”

The overall average increase that the non-CSR-funded rates will add to the 2018 premiums will be 6 percent. All of the companies that submitted CSR-funded rates for 2018 submitted non-CSR-funded rates, so while premiums will change, the insurance companies will remain the same as announced in September.

“We look to Congress to work together through the Alexander-Murray bipartisan Senate hearings to stabilize the health insurance markets,” said Commissioner Salazar. “In the meantime, the Division of Insurance is already switching gears so open enrollment can still take place and Colorado consumers can enroll in health insurance for 2018.”

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The Colorado Division of Insurance (DOI), part of the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) regulates the insurance industry and assists consumers and other stakeholders with insurance issues. Visit dora.colorado.gov/insurance for more information or call 303-894-7499 / toll free 800-930-3745.

DORA is dedicated to preserving the integrity of the marketplace and is committed to promoting a fair and competitive business environment in Colorado. Consumer protection is our mission. Visit dora.colorado.gov for more information or call 303-894-7855 / toll free 1-800-886-7675.